Chinese journalists punished for citing historian

August 19, 2011 3:21 PM ET

New York, August 19, 2011--The demotion of a magazine president and
suspension of an editor for an interview deemed critical of a Communist Party
legend are the latest punitive steps taken by authorities against mainstream
journalists in China, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Chen
Zhong, president of the Guangzhou-based biweekly Nanfeng Chuang (Window on the South), was removed from his post,
though not dismissed, and editor Zhao Lingmin was suspended during an internal
meeting on Monday, international news reports said. These measures were related
to Zhao's July 25 interview with Taiwanese historian Tang Chi-hua, according to
a letter the editor wrote to his colleagues that was published online by the
Hong Kong University-based China Media Project.

"Punishing Chen Zhong and Zhao Lingmin for quoting a historian
is absurd and a sign of the tightening restrictions on professional reporters
across China
this year," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "Some of China's best
journalists are falling victim to the Communist Party's sustained efforts to
stamp out views it fears."

The Hong
Kong-based South
China Morning Post,citing an
unnamed journalist at the magazine, said that Nanfeng Chuang's editorial committee under the Guangzhou Daily
newspaper group took issue with Tang's criticism of Sun Yat-sen, an early 20th-century
political leader referred to as the "Father of the Nation."The historian said Sun had been prepared to cede Chinese territory
to the Japanese in return for military support against a local warlord and that
the Communist Party's historical narratives might not be factual, the Post said.

This year, CPJ has documented a number of journalists fired
for reporting in China,
though the dismissals are often couched as suspensions, sabbaticals, or resignations
to disguise the retributive motive.

China Central Television's "24
Hours" news producer Wang Qinglei was suspended
earlier this month. He had reported on a July 23 train wreck, defying propaganda
regulations to probe the cause of the crash.

Beijing-based China Economic Times'investigative unit, headed by veteran
muckraker Wang Keqin, was disbanded
in July for reasons that remain unclear.

Two Guangzhou-based
journalists also lost their jobs in March: Time Weekly'sPeng
Xiaoyun for interviewing dissidents, and Southern
Weekend'sChen Ming for writing
on political reform.

Veteran editor
and columnist Zhang
Ping, who writes as "Chang Ping," was forced to resign by Guangzhou's Southern Media Group, which
publishes Southern Weekend and other
titles, for writing on political and media issues.

Chinese court sentences journalist Huang Qi to 12 years in prison

July 29, 2019 10:50 AM ET

Taipei, July 29, 2019 -- The Mianyang Intermediate People's Court today sentenced Huang Qi, publisher of the human rights news website 64 Tianwang, to 12 years in prison on charges of "deliberately leaking state secrets," and "illegally providing state secrets to foreign countries," according to a statement published on...

Pro-democracy underground station Citizens' Radio vandalized in Hong Kong

July 2, 2019 12:30 PM ET

Taipei, July 2, 2019 -- Authorities in Hong Kong should swiftly investigate the vandalism of the Citizens' Radio office and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....

Taipei, June 14, 2019 -- Hong Kong authorities should immediately and thoroughly investigate police use of tear gas on journalists and allegations that officers hit and pushed journalists with batons during protests on June 12, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....

Hong Kong, May 13, 2019 -- The Hong Kong government should withdraw a proposed bill amending its extradition law that potentially exposes journalists and others in Hong Kong to criminal trial in mainland Chinese courts, or modify the bill to include additional safeguards to prevent arbitrary rendition, the Committee...